Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Training (2)
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“Ugh...”
Cha Su-ho groaned and tossed in his sleep. Then his eyes snapped open.
It should have been the Dead Zone, but all he saw was a ceiling and a fluffy blanket.
Su-ho slowly sat up and ran his hands over his body, checking if the gaping wounds had healed properly.
‘You idiot.’
Jin Seong-hyeok’s voice rang out, and Su-ho responded with a hint of delight.
‘Did I pass out again?’
‘Pass out? You nearly died.’
By now, nearly dying felt like a casual greeting.
‘As long as I didn’t die, it’s fine.’
‘Cha Su-ho.’
A low, grave tone unlike before echoed in Su-ho’s mind.
‘You’re a thoughtless fool, aren’t you?’
‘I did think about it.’
‘And a thinking man hands over his body to fight a monster?’
Jin Seong-hyeok raised his voice, scolding the silent Su-ho.
‘Are you insane? What if there were two monsters instead of one? No matter how great your regeneration is, you think you’d survive being torn apart alive?’
Jin Seong-hyeok was right. Charging in recklessly like that only worked in a one-on-one fight.
‘And aren’t you relying on me a bit too much?’
Su-ho froze. He couldn’t deny he had something to lean on.
‘In case you forgot, I’m already dead. That means I could vanish anytime.’
He’d thought about it before—that Jin Seong-hyeok might disappear someday. But it had become so familiar that it felt distant and vague.
‘Whether I want to or not, I could be gone by tomorrow.’
The tone was a wake-up call, stinging like a slap to the back of his head.
‘I was short-sighted.’
He’d trusted Jin Seong-hyeok too much. It would be a lie to say he hadn’t hoped that if something was beyond him, Jin Seong-hyeok would handle it somehow.
He wanted to become a Hunter like Jin Seong-hyeok, but deep down, he still wanted to lean on him. Even after changing, those pathetic thoughts lingered, filling him with shame that kept him silent.
‘At least you’re reflecting. That means there’s room for improvement.’
Jin Seong-hyeok snorted.
‘Stop moping. I’m scolding you for being reckless, not pathetic.’
‘I know.’
‘Good. Anyway, don’t you want me out of here ASAP? You’re not hoping I’ll stick around forever, are you?’
Forever? He’d never even considered it. If Jin Seong-hyeok stayed in his subconscious indefinitely...
What would his life have been like without meeting Jin Seong-hyeok, without him entering his body? It wasn’t just about power. Jin Seong-hyeok had changed his thoughts, his actions—turned him into a truly decent person, beyond just being a Hunter or Helper.
Su-ho let out a small gasp. There was still so much to learn: not just wielding power, but Jin Seong-hyeok’s mindset too.
As if sensing Su-ho’s deepening thoughts and trying to snap him out of it, Jin Seong-hyeok spoke quickly.
‘You’re not planning to live like a monk forever, right?’
‘What kind of talk is that? I’m a man, you know.’
‘Sure, sure. But it’d be awkward if I hung around for that.’
Jin Seong-hyeok burst into laughter.
‘I wouldn’t mind. I could give tips if your skills are lacking.’
Su-ho pondered the implication for a moment before recoiling in horror.
‘No, absolutely not!’
‘You’re not small but not big either, so technique is key...’
‘Jin Seong-hyeok!’
Flustered, Su-ho clutched his head.
‘Ugh, this feels more urgent than training. Pausing synchronization with your body for a bit. Or putting you to sleep temporarily—any way?’
‘Spend that brainpower on training instead. Unless you’re tossing this weak body around again.’
‘Yeah, yeah. Whose fault is that?’
Su-ho stretched lightly. Listening to Jin Seong-hyeok made lying still impossible. What if he vanished tomorrow morning?
‘Jin Seong-hyeok.’
Su-ho’s sharp gaze cut through the air, unlike before.
‘Take me back to the Dead Zone.’
‘What?’
‘I’ll fight properly this time. Without getting hurt.’
After a thoughtful silence, Jin Seong-hyeok replied.
‘Fine. But...’
‘Yes?’
‘You need to level up your skills. Can’t even kill a Sterion with Flame Chains.’
‘...It’s a Dead Zone monster. Cut me some slack—I’m still a newbie Hunter.’
‘Talking like you’ve got no conscience.’
The tone dripped with disbelief.
‘With A-grade Helper skills and SSS-grade power. You know Sterion’s the weakest in the Dead Zone, right?’
The weakest? Even SS-grades struggled in the Dead Zone, but “weakest” was enough to ignite Su-ho’s pride.
‘Give me another shot then.’
He remembered it without Jin Seong-hyeok reminding him. When Su-ho had used Flame Chains, the Sterion had said:
“Huh? Weaker than I thought?”
A thick sense of defeat. He’d heard it endlessly as an F-grade and thought he could brush it off, but it burned. He’d sworn after Tae-il’s death never to feel defeat again.
‘I’ll make up for it properly this time.’
Jin Seong-hyeok fell silent at the earnest words. Truth be told, he was hesitating. Even for someone as hardened as him, sending Su-ho back to the Dead Zone just hours after his body was riddled with holes was too much.
When had he gone soft? The old Jin Seong-hyeok would have gone. No—he wouldn’t even need to go back. Half the monsters in the Dead Zone would be dead by now.
After agonizing, Jin Seong-hyeok spoke.
‘No need to rush. Later, you’ll be begging me to stay.’
His calm voice soothed like a pat on the back.
‘Right now’s not for fieldwork. It’s time to master controlling your power. You don’t need the field for that.’
He was right. Controlling power didn’t require a battlefield. And this spacious room held only Su-ho.
‘What if I start a fire?’
‘If only your chains were strong enough to do that.’
At Jin Seong-hyeok’s subtle taunt, Su-ho focused his mind with determination.
His eyes slowly closed, then opened—and with a whoosh, red chains materialized beside him.
Su-ho stared intently at the red chains drifting lazily in the air. There had to be more differences between Jin Seong-hyeok’s chains and his beyond just size. As he examined them closely, his head snapped up.
‘Jin Seong-hyeok.’
‘What.’
‘Make some Flame Chains for me.’
‘Now?’
‘Yes.’
Jin Seong-hyeok effortlessly took control of Su-ho’s body and conjured Flame Chains.
‘Very different from the ones you used to make?’
‘You could say that. Maybe 70% compared to my old ones?’
70%. It definitely felt different from the first Flame Chains he’d seen upon meeting Jin Seong-hyeok. Back then, the sheer pressure had been suffocating.
Comparing Jin Seong-hyeok’s chains to his own, Su-ho gasped in realization.
‘Ah, I get it now.’
The color at the core was different. Su-ho’s were a deep red, but Jin Seong-hyeok’s flickered with red, orange, and yellow.
The difference started there. Flames burned hottest from red to orange to yellow. Meaning Jin Seong-hyeok’s flames were far hotter.
‘That explains why yours pack more punch.’
Higher temperature meant more damage, and the size difference sealed it.
‘Jin Seong-hyeok.’
Already reading his thoughts, Jin Seong-hyeok replied calmly.
‘The gap’s natural. Even using the same power through your body, we differ because...’
The vague hunch solidified from Jin Seong-hyeok’s mouth.
‘Your ability to draw out the power is lacking.’
It started at age 14. Jin Seong-hyeok had developed and used Flame Chains for 15—no, 16 years, like breathing. Su-ho couldn’t match that in a few tries.
Even Jin Seong-hyeok had poured immense effort into creating them. Born exceptional, yes, but it was his own hard work that yielded results.
‘No need to despair.’
Jin Seong-hyeok chuckled.
‘I took months to make mine. You pulled them out in days.’
Optimistic words: Su-ho would master them fully soon.
‘I’ll do it.’
Su-ho seized control back and summoned Flame Chains, then dismissed them.
Again and again. He repeated it until the room’s air grew scorching from the heat, his breath ragged.
Nothing changed. Deep red chains. No hint of orange.
He tried infusing emotions, holding focus longer, but the result was the same.
Still, he wouldn’t quit. He’d keep going until it worked. Sweat drenched him; droplets from his hair blurred his vision, breath heaving.
‘Again...!’
The next chain was still pure red. As Jin Seong-hyeok tried to call it,
‘That’s enough for today—’
‘I’m continuing.’
Su-ho dismissed the chains and prepared to summon again.
‘Until there’s even a tiny change.’
Jin Seong-hyeok didn’t stop him. With Su-ho this determined, better to watch; he’d stop when exhausted.
But time dragged on, and Su-ho didn’t falter. He ignored Jin Seong-hyeok’s suggestions to rest, lost in summoning and dismissing.
Time flowed; his panting worsened. His body swayed, legs trembled. On the verge of collapse from exhaustion, he summoned one last set—and his eyes sparkled with a gasp.
For the first time, a faint orange flickered inside the red flames.